Muller Martini, the innovative, Zofingen-based machine manufacturer, had the great honor of being presented with the 2017 Swiss Industry 4.0 Award for its Finishing 4.0 book production line for runs of one copy at the Swiss Industry 4.0 Conference at the TRAFO Culture and Congress Center in Baden.

With its forward-looking Finishing 4.0 strategy, which draws on Industry 4.0, Muller Martini ensures all its systems meet the requirements of the increasing customization and personalization of print products and the production of ultra-short runs. The book production system that won the 2017 Swiss Industry 4.0 Award boasts a seamless, touchless workflow, i.e. books can be produced in runs of one copy without manual interventions and setup time.

The Connex workflow system that was developed by Muller Martini connects all work steps. First it reads the book data from the PDF. The size and job data are prepared for the digital printing press. The individual book is printed onto a web and processed into a book block. The book block and the cover are glued together in the Vareo perfect binder and then trimmed to the final size in the InfiniTrim three-knife trimmer. The size, thickness and content of each book can differ, and all settings are performed fully automatically. “The workflow system combines all process steps, from online ordering and printing through to bookbinding and immediate delivery of the book,” says Roland Kost, Head of Technology at Muller Martini Print Finishing Systems AG, emphasizing the considerable benefits of Connex.

Runs of one copy, which are especially associated with photo books, pose major production challenges. “Today a printing plant has to be able to process up to 10,000 jobs per day,” notes Volker Leonhardt, Head of Marketing and Sales at Muller Martini Print Finishing Systems AG. “However, that’s only possible with a seamless and touchless workflow solution like Connex that controls the whole process.” Muller Martini designed the Vareo perfect binder and InfiniTrim three-knife trimmer to enable the production of runs of one copy – the entirely new, highly automated systems boast revolutionary technology.

That has numerous logistical advantages. Book producers can eliminate their stock and no longer need to print minimum runs. That is a key advantage given that an extensive part of the books printed worldwide are never delivered and are fed into the recycling system directly from the warehouse. As a result, on-demand production also protects natural resources.